We’re all familiar with the popular Christmas carol, ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ yet how many Christians celebrate all twelve days of Christmas? In the retail world it seems that by boxing day all the Christmas decorations have miraculously vanished over-night, and they’re getting ready for the next event in the retail calendar: Valentine’s Day.

Properly speaking, Christmas is celebrated with an octave (eight days) taking us to the 1^st January (the Solemnity of the Mother of God). The next five days take us up until the feast of the Epiphany (ie. when the magi come to Bethlehem to adore the Christ child) which is celebrated on the 6^th January. The revelation of the Jewish Messiah (Christ) to the gentile world (as represented by the Magi) is obviously a key part of the Christmas story. It reminds us that Jesus is not merely the Saviour of the Jews, He is the Saviour of the world. The Epiphany used to be celebrated with an octave in its own right, and had its own season – Epiphany-tide that went up until the feast of the Presentation on 2^nd February. Because the Epiphany stands on its own as a Solemnity, the twelve days of Christmas are from 25^th December to 5^th January. In Australia the feast of the Epiphany has been transferred to the nearest Sunday which has the unfortunate effect of doing a hatchet job on the original twelve days of Christmas. Even so, it’s good to remember that Christmas is not merely a single day – it is celebrated with a season: Christmastide. 

Well, that’s half the mystery explained. But what about the strange menagerie of gifts mentioned in the carol? What do they mean? Some context helps to unravel the riddle. In 1558 The English parliament under Elizabeth I passed the Act of Supremacy and the following year the Act of Uniformity (1559) which has the combined effect of making it treason to be a Catholic in England. Under Elizabeth it was legally impossible to practise the Catholic faith either in public or private. This automatically pushed the Church underground (in a situation similar to the Church in China). Up until the Catholic emancipation Act of 1829 English Catholics were, at best, second class citizens, although the enforcement of the law did begin to relax by the end of the 17^th century. Until then Catholics could be arrested, fined or imprisoned for even owning Catholic books or devotional items, such as rosaries or pictures. Needless to say, this made teaching the Catholic faith very difficult, and so the English Catholics got creative. They invented a carol that sounded like a nonsense poem that they could teach to their children without fear of suspicion, since it was entirely allegorical. The days of Christmas was, in effect, a miniature catechism for the underground Church, enumerating the key tenets of the faith. 

Each of the gifts of the 12 days represents a different aspect of the ‘gift’ of Christian faith.

The Song begins: “On the first day of Christmas by true love gave to me: a partridge in a pear tree.” Here the ‘True Love’ is God. In the passion account of John’s Gospel, John refers to himself in code as “the one whom Jesus loved.” In doing so every disciple of Jesus who reads the gospel can place himself in the scene, as the ‘beloved’ of Jesus. This romantic language in which the faithful are described as being in an intimate relation of love with God, is prominent in the Song of Songs: “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine!” (Sg 6:3). The God who is Love (see 1Jn 4:9) reveals His love for us by sending His Son into the World. As St Paul writes in his letter to the Romans: “But God shows His love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8). Jesus Christ is represented symbolically as the partridge, because a partridge is known to mimic being critically wounded by dragging its wing along the ground, as a decoy to attract predators away from its chicks. Christ’s apparent defeat on the Cross was the ingenious ploy by which the Devil was defeated, and the children of Christ were thereby saved. The pear tree is an allusion to the tree from which Adam and Eve ate and thereby fell into sin: and simultaneously it represents the cross, as the new tree of life, by which sin was conquered ‘on a tree’.

The song continues: “On the second day of Christmas my True Love gave to me: two turtle doves…” The two turtle doves represent the two covenants (ie. the Old Testament and the New Testament). The first covenant God made was with Noah and his family, as heralded by the return of the dove bringing a stem of olive. The covenants of the Old Testament culminate in the covenant that God makes with Moses (see Exodus). At the Last Supper Jesus establishes a new and eternal Covenant with His Church. This time He sends the Holy Spirit upon the Church at Pentecost. The dove which is a symbol of peace, is a fitting symbol of the two covenants by which God in successive stages, sought to reconcile the world to himself.

“On the third day of Christmas my True Love gave to me: three French hens…” The three French hens represent the three theological virtues of faith, hope and charity (love) which are poured into the soul at baptism. They are called ‘theological virtues’ to distinguish them from the natural virtues (particularly, the cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, temperance, fortitude). The theological virtues are bestowed upon us as a free gift of God, whereas the natural virtues are acquired by our own effort. So long as we remain in a state of grace, the Catholic faith teaches us that we retain these gifts of the faith, hope and charity which we need to attain to eternal life. St Paul writes in 1Corinthians “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face…So these three endure, faith, hope, love; but the greatest of these is love. (1Cor 13:12-13). Incidentally I have a Mauritian priest friend who kept three hens. He named them Faith, Hope and Charity!

“On the fourth day of Christmas my True Love gave to me: four calling birds…” The four calling birds represent the four evangelists: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Their gospels are the divinely inspired accounts of the life of Jesus Christ by which we learn of our Salvation. The word ‘Gospel’ (in Greek, evangelion) means Good News. Just as the beautiful sound of bird-song fills the heart with joy, so too the voice of the Gospel being proclaimed to the whole world fills the world with joy.

“On the fifth day of Christmas my True Love gave to me: five golden rings…” The five golden rings are the Pentateuch – the first five books of the Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. Jesus teaches us in the Sermon on the Mount: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them. For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished” (Mt 5:17-18). The value of the entirety of Old Testament as part of Revelation has always been affirmed by the Church. Even so the five Books of the Pentateuch hold a preeminent place in the Old Testament (just as the four Gospels do in the New Testament) because they contain the ‘precious gold’, that is, the most essential teachings concerning salvation history and the summary of the moral law, under the old dispensation.

“On the sixth day of Christmas my True Love gave to me: six geese a-laying…” The six geese represent the six days of creation, as described in chapter one of Genesis. Genesis affirms the goodness of God’s work of creation as something that is ordered and beautiful, with the recurring motif “and God saw that it was good.” Within God’s creation, mankind is presented as the pinnacle and culmination of His creative output. Not only is man created ‘good’ but he is the incarnate reflection of Divinity: “God created man in the image of Himself; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them, saying to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it.’” (Gen 1:27-28). Just as the geese are ‘a-laying’ their eggs, so the work of creation is fruitful and generative. As Christ says: “I have come that you may have life, and have it abundantly!” (Jn 10:10).

“On the seventh day of Christmas my True Love gave to me: seven swans a-swimming…”

The seven swans remind us of either the seven sacraments or the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. The sacraments are: Baptism, Confession, Eucharist, Confirmation, Holy Matrimony, Holy Orders, and the Anointing of the Sick. Swans move with a stately grace and dignity upon the water, and likewise the Sacraments are conferred upon us through the stately beauty of the Church’s rituals, by the minister, who is always dressed in a white alb. The grace of the sacraments are a profound consolation for the faithful in this life, bringing us interior serenity. 

“On the eighth day of Christmas my True Love gave to me: eight maids a-milking…” The eight maids represent the eight beatitudes taught by our Lord at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount (See Mt 5:3-10). Here Jesus proclaims the blessedness that awaits 1) those who are poor in spirit; 2) the gentle; 3) those who mourn; 4) those who hunger and thirst for righteousness; 5) the merciful; 6) the pure in heart; 7) the peacemakers; and 8) those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness. The blessedness Jesus proclaims is not a matter of an immediate reward; it is savoured afterward in the life to come. So too there is a world of difference between the patient labour of milking a cow in the dark of the night, and enjoying the rich, fulfilling milk at the breakfast table.

“On the ninth day of Christmas my True Love gave to me: nine ladies dancing…” The nine ladies dancing stand for the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit as listed by St Paul in Galatians: 1) love, 2) joy, 3) peace, 4) patience, 5) kindness, 6) goodness, 7) faithfulness, 8) gentleness and 9) self-control (Gal 5:22-23). The personification of virtues as ‘ladies’ is a very ancient allegorical device. In this case these ‘ladies’ are dancing as an expression of their delight – the fruit of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. One thinks immediately of David dancing before the ark in the second Book of Samuel: “And David danced before the Lord with all his might, wearing a priestly garment” (2 Sam 6:14) which prefigures John the Baptist leaping for joy at the approach of the unborn Christ at the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth. The soul that lives in a state of Sanctifying grace is filled with this inner vitality, where the worship of God in “Spirit and Truth” bears abundantly these fruits of the Holy Spirit.

“On the tenth day of Christmas my True Love gave to me: ten lords a-leaping…” The ten leaping lords are the ten commandments (as set out in Exodus 20:2-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21). Lords are authority figures – they command and we should obey! Yet we see a surprising dynamism and energy in these leaping lords, as they overcome all manner of obstacles. So too, obedience to the commandments help us to overcome the difficulties that life puts in our way, as well as the stumbling block of our fallen nature. The ten commandments prohibit us from the following: 1) worshipping false idols; 2) taking God’s name in vain; 3) failing to observe the Lord’s Day; 4) dishonouring parents; 5) murder; 6) adultery; 7) bearing false witness; 8) theft; 9) coveting your neighbour’s spouse; and 10) coveting your neighbour’s possessions.

“On the eleventh day of Christmas my True Love gave to me: eleven pipers piping…” The eleven pipers are the eleven faithful apostles who went out in fulfilment of Christ’s mandate: “Go, make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them all that I have commanded you.” (Mt 28:19-20). The sound of the pipe is very high pitched and soars over the other instruments. So too the teaching of the apostles soars over the clamour of the world, and continues to resound over the all the world. The original eleven apostles are: (Simon) Peter, James (Son of Zebedee), John, Thomas James (Son of Alphaeus), Philip, Bartholomew (AKA Nathaniel), Matthew, Simon, Jude (AKA Judas/Thaddeus). Judas Iscariot is obviously excluded from this honour board. The names of the eleven faithful apostles are mentioned in the Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer 1) at every Mass. 

“On the twelfth day of Christmas my True Love gave to me: twelve drummers drumming…” The twelve drummers are the twelve tenets set out in the apostle’s creed. 1) I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; 2) and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; 3) Who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary; 4) He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; 5) He descended into hell. The third day He arose again from the dead. 6) He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. 7) He will come again to judge the living and the dead; 8) I believe in the Holy Spirit; 9) the holy catholic Church, the Communion of Saints; 10) the forgiveness of sins; 11) the resurrection of the body; 12) and in life everlasting. Like a rhythmic drum-beat the faith of the apostles resounds through each successive generation giving consistency and continuity. At every Sunday Mass we profess the Creed (Nicene or Apostles’) as a corporate expression of our faith.

In conclusion, it’s perhaps worth summarising that faith itself is a gift of immeasurable value: it is the pearl of great price. The greatest gift that God ever gave us, the gift of His Son, would be of no avail if He had not also bestowed upon us the gift of faith by which we come to receive Him. May this Christmas renew within each of us an appreciation of the gift of faith.